Yesterday morning, some of us met at 7:30 for a run. We [...]]]> Good morning and happy Monday! By now, I’m sure you’ve all read numerous recaps of the 2009 Healthy Living Summit… I know I have! It’s interesting to see everyone’s take on it, because, like us bloggers, no two experiences are the same.

Yesterday morning, some of us met at 7:30 for a run. We hadn’t had coffee, but look at all those smiling faces! (Thanks to Caitlin for letting me bogart her pictrures )

I joined the 3 mile group, and enjoyed great conversation (pug or German Shepherd?) with like-minded ladies.

We ended up going about 3.5 miles, and I know I could have gone on longer. Having someone (or 10 someones!) to run with makes all the difference.  Do I see a race in my future?

Total time: 33:36 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 192 (96%)
Average heart rate: 172 (86%)

Calories burned: 380

After the run we had over an hour until breakfast, and I needed something for my tum.  Coffee!  I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to find the filters…

… only to discover they were “tea bag” style, and the filters were the coffee. Doh.

The group reassembled and went to Finagle A Bagle for lunch.

Talk about maximum efficiency! The bagels shoot out, assembly-line style…

They are then sliced by a giant spinning blade.

There were so many interesting bagel choices! French Toast, Honey Grain, Stuffed Vegetable…

The line was long, but we were all in an out in no time.  That’s progress, baby, progress.

We found a grassy knoll to sit on and enjoyed our breakfast outside, enjoying the last minutes of the Healthy Living Summit.

It took me a little while to set up my breakfast (I can be a little high-maintenance about that, if you haven’t noticed : On a toasted honey grain bagel, I spread light cream cheese on half, and Barney Butter with honey on the other half.

I also made sure to get some fruit in.

I was in a little bit of a rush to make the 12 PM checkout, but I managed to grab Heather to take a sunglass-twin photo. Why spend good money on fancy shades when you can get sexy ones like these at Target?

I hustled back to the hotel, grabbed my stuff, and hobbled out.  When I got to the station, I surveyed all of the food choices.  Not great, but I did manage to find a Greek Salad at D’Angelo’s.

I wasn’t a fan of the creamy dressing it came with… a relief, because I knew it would also stink up the bus. (I removed the onions for that very reason!)

There was an absurd amount of feta and olives, and I left a lot behind.

I also munched on an apple while reading my copy of Body + Soul from the swag bag. There are some great recipes in there that I can’t wait to try!

The ride from Boston –> New York is almost five hours, so I needed another snack. I went back to the swag bag for a Fruition bar, made by the makers of Pro Bar.

Here’s an idea of the size of the bar, using my camera case:

Pros: There’s a definite strawberry flavor here.  It’s very soft and grainy, so you don’t have to work too hard to eat it like some other sports bars out there. It reminds me of something I ate as a kid during snack time at school (which is reinforced by the sticky fingers you will get upon eating this). I like its snack size; you don’t have to make the 400 calorie commitment that you do for a regular Pro Bar. It also has very pretty packaging!

Cons: It’s a little too soft for me. I wish it would either be firmer like a Larabar, or crunchier like a granola here. There are oats in here, after all, so it shouldn’t be so soggy!

Bottom line: Would I buy this? Maybe. I want to try the other flavors of Fruition; I’ve heard rumors of Blueberry, which sounds pretty good. I don’t know how widely available they are yet (I’ve never seen them in stores), but keep your eyes open!

I shlepped about 100 pounds home from Chinatown and just wanted a comforting meal.  I made my old standby comfort food:

Gliding Calm tofu; a sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar; steamed kale with rice wine vinegar; brown rice. This meal really feels like the equivalent of a big bear hug.

Do you have any comfort foods or meals you turn over and over?

I enjoyed dinner with a small glass of Villa Farnia di Farnese’s 2008 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that my friend Howard gave me.

Frank Bruni describes this as a “good, solid, dependable wine;”  a staple in Italian restaurants.  It is medium tannin, smooth, and has the taste of black fruit.

I enjoyed the wine while watching Revolutionary Road and munching on one of Jenna‘s chocolate chip biscotti.

Er, make that two biscotti. I didn’t want the first one to be lonely!

Another great day. The Summit was a blast.  I had so much fun meeting over one hundred women who love to do some of the same things I do! Who’d a thought, in high school, that that would be possible?

It’s back to the grind, unfortunately, and I have a lot of reading to do. Hope your week is off to a great start!

This morning, after sleeping for [...]]]> I’ve actually never heard anyone say that in Minnesota.  I did see it on a shirt once, and heard Caridee or Brooke say it on Project Runway.  In New York we use a lot of “oi”s and “schlep”s; many Yiddish-based words. What quirky sayings is your state known for?

This morning, after sleeping for 10 hours, I high-tailed it to the cafeteria for breakfast. I ended up forgetting my wallet so I had to go all the way back home and was feeling a little foul about it, but I’m over it.

Got some fruit:

A cheese and veggie omelet (with ketchup and sricha):

WW bread with butter:

And coffee.

I took an apple pastry to go- which I don’t even really like- and ate it in the library.

My stomach is feeling a little funky after that big ole breakfast, so I’ll probably wait and have lunch on the later side.

I’m hoping to have a very productive day in the bibliothèque.  Just got an email saying graduation is 17 days away… it would be nice if I could enjoy a little of it and see my friends instead of feeling swamped and overwhelmed with work.  Anywho, this was a very “me” oriented post, so tell me about you! What’s one thing you’re looking forward to today? Doesn’t have to be big!

Have a great day

I did manage to get up early this morning and was at the gym by 6:45 (which isn’t 6:00, but it’s good enough). Before I left, I had half a banana with almond butter:

I did 30 easy minutes on the bike [...]]]> Afternoon! I just rolled out of bed, though, so it feels like morning.

I did manage to get up early this morning and was at the gym by 6:45 (which isn’t 6:00, but it’s good enough). Before I left, I had half a banana with almond butter:

I did 30 easy minutes on the bike at magazine-reading pace, then did some abs.  If I can just do a little something every day, I think I’ll be all the saner.

Total time: 42:39 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 137 (69%)

Average heart rate: 111 (56%)

Calories burned: 206

I took advantage of being on campus to go to the cafeteria for breakfast.  I got egg whites with ketchup and green pepper Tobasco:

A huge bowl of fruit:

The toaster was broken (!) and I needed my carb fix, so I got a small bowl of oatmeal instead.  Not to toot my own horn, but my oats are far superior.  Overcooking and using water really just don’t compare to the time and care it takes to make each bowl individually.

I kept going back for more mix-ins, and ended up with:

• brown sugar (more than usual)
• strawberries (from my fruit bowl)
• Grape Nuts
• chocolate soy milk

I fully intended to stay on campus to do work, but when I went back to the car to get my books I somehow found myself driving home. Whoops! Three hours later, I had lunch:

Salad with

• spinach
• romaine
• apple
• fake turkey
• hummus
• feta
• Annie’s Woodstock dressing

More coffee (two cups at breakfast which clearly did not get the job done):

For “dessert,” I had cottage cheese with pumpkin, cinnamon, agave and 4 nuts (walnut & pecan). I was a little too full after eating, but I have a while until dinner so I’m sure I’ll survive.

And last but not least, happy holidays, from my house to yours.

Just kidding!

Have a great day

Last night, Jalene and [...]]]> Look at me, sleeping the day away and ignoring my blogging responsibilities! Very naughty. Last night was fun, but I got home so late! I’m turning into such a grandmother that staying up past 1 really wipes me out.  Things have changed from freshman year, and probably for the better!

Last night, Jalene and I made personal pizzas.  It looks small, but it was the amount of dough for 1/2 a normal sized pizza, we just didn’t roll it out.

Whole wheat pizza with marinara sauce, spinach, mozzarella, dehydrated tomatoes, 1/2 TJ's salmon patty, black olives & chili flakes.

It was so good! Very doughy, and it gave my stomach the strength it needed for this pomegranate cocktail.

1 part vodka, 5 parts club soda, 2 parts POM juice.

When I got home I was exhausted, but not too tired for cereal! I mixed a bowl of Fiber One and Kashi Autumn Harvest with skim milk, but I didn’t photograph it. Almost like it didn’t even happen!  Cereal has been my go-to late-night snack for years.

This afternoon morning, we woke up and stumbled, bleary-eyed and glasses-clad, to campus for brunch.  I had quite a big meal, but brunch is by far the best meal (and best value) in the cafeteria.

Egg whites with ketchup and 1/2 multigrain bagel wtih cream cheese.

Canteloupe, grapes, honeydew and pineapple.

Flashback to about 10 years ago when these were new in stores!

Reese's Puffs with granola and skim milk.

We were so tired while we were eating (which was probably why I ate so much) that I’m surprised we even made it home.  I went back to bed for 3 hours (Miss Jalene is still snoring away in her room) and then woke up and had an apple with peanut butter.

I’m having dinner out at 6:30 so I probably don’t need much more than that to tide me over, although the dried figs just gave me the eye so I might need to dig into that jar.

Do you have any fun Saturday night things planned, or are you going to laze it up at home?

I told him I kind of wanted to have a lick, but he said he made them four years ago. Good thing [...]]]> Whew! This girl is FULL.  Lunch at the club was fun today! They had it all decorated for Valentine’s Day.  One of the chefs made these two amorous flamingos out of frosting!

I told him I kind of wanted to have a lick, but he said he made them four years ago. Good thing I didn’t nibble!

The buffet was especially good today.

On my plate, I had:

• smoked slamon
• cottage cheese
• mixed greens
• beets
• artichoke hearts
• hearts of palm
• cucumber salad (I used this as dressing)
• raw cauliflower
• red peppers

I also got a big fruit plate with pineapple, honeydew, canteloupe, grapes and strawberries.

I ate two (dry) toast triangles with strawberry preserves.

All three of us got small slices of carrot cake… I never have this, so I wanted to treat myself. It was worth every delicious bite!

The server brought out some special house-made chocolates for Valentine’s Day, but we boxed them up and I took them home.

I did, however, have a tri-layer fudge square in the car.  I grabbed one of these on the way out, and it was just sitting right next to me…. (I parked in the driveway for the photo, don’t worry!)

I ended up giving the leftover chocolate to my friend Morgan.  I have all those truffles from my parents (!), so there are more than enough sweet things to eat in my apartment.

Well, off to work I go.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I got these lover-ly valentines from my mama today. She always finds the most unique cards.

I went to campus to study and eat lunch… there were egg whites and honey wheat English muffins today, so it was a success.

I also had a MONSTER [...]]]> Sorry about the unsavory title, but it’s descriptive!

I got these lover-ly valentines from my mama today. She always finds the most unique cards.

I went to campus to study and eat lunch… there were egg whites and honey wheat English muffins today, so it was a success.

I also had a MONSTER bowl of fruit. It felt like it weighed two pounds! In it was canteloupe, grapes, honeydew and strawberries, drizzled with yogurt and a scoop each of Grape Nuts and granola.

A couple hours later, I whipped out the Chocolate Cashew JoJo Bar that Hope sent.

It was so thin! I love the shape.

I don’t have much experience with raw foods, but after tasting this I want to try some more. I had about 1/5 of the bar… I’m going to see if i can be creative and cook some things with the rest! (I know, that sounds a little counterintuitive.)

So, on to my workout. I’ve been pretty stressed out lately, and there are really only a few things that will help calm me down: yoga, exercise, and deep breathing (the latter is kind of a constant thing). I always feel better when I get some kind of cardio in, no matter how short it is.

Stairmaster: 20 minutes

Treadmill: 2.o miles + .2 mile cooldown

Total time: 47:13

Average heart rate: 156 (78%)

Maximum heart rate: 184 (92%)

Calories burned: 452

I felt so much more relaxed afterwards, which I knew would happen (there’s only so much time a person can spend in a chair), it’s just a matter of getting myself out the door to do it.

I just came home and had one of the grapefruits that I pilfered from the cafeteria. They’ve been so good recently!

In other news, I was soooo relieved that my Secret Valentine finally got her package! Emma, over at English Vegan, lives in England (obviously), so although I sent it early it just got there yesterday! Mmm, I wish I were in England right now… Anyway, thanks again to Lee for organizing the exchange. She put so much time and effort into connecting bloggers and making this holiday so much richer!

Well, I’m off to get my sweaty booty in the shower. Enjoy your romantic, platonic, or solo nights! I’m flying solo tonight, although there may be some virtual chatting going on… that’s how I roll.

Edited to add: Check out Erica’s blog for a chance to win Country Bob’s BBQ sauce… this stuff is ALL over the blog world!